Blog - fruits and seeds

amazonian forest

Amazonian trees

by Chris, 4 January, 2014, 1 comments

The Amazonian forests are estimated to be home to some 390 billion trees, and some 16,000 different tree species. The Amazon Basin includes bits of Peru, Brazil, the Guiana Shield and Columbia. However, it has recently been estimated* that 227 species make up half of these billions of trees. That is 1.4% of the total species count make up 50% of the trees. The 227 species identified as ‘hyper-dominants’ seem to have no obvious physical / special features (such as seed mass or wood density), and they range from shade tolerant climax species (with large seeds) to smaller seeded, shade-intolerant pioneer types (those that colonise clearings initially). Read more...

Ecosystem Services

Ecosystem Services

by Lewis, 22 August, 2013, 1 comments

We are all dependent on ecosystem services even if we are not quite sure what they are. At the most basic of levels, early humans benefitted from the products of nature (fruits and seeds to eat, animals to hunt) - that is, food or provisioning . Shelter from the harsher aspects of climate and weather was also needed and provided; be it by the canopy of woodlands and forests, or the branches and other materials in woodlands used to make a simple shelter. Ecosystem services permeate every aspect of our lives. Take soil, for example ‘Where would we be without fertile soil ?’ Obviously fertile soils provide us with the best conditions for our agricultural crops and for maximising growth in our greenhouses and orchards, but beyond that soil has many important functions. The organic material of the soil, humus, can absorb and retain water. It plays a vital role is the regulation of water run-off. Read more...

Wild Flower Guide

Badger

Read our guide to wild flowers of woodland and hedgerow

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